Makkatul Mukarramah / Hajj Pictures & Info

[ummtaalib]

The Meeqaat

 

 

There are five places some distance from the Holy City of Makkah which pilgrims must not cross before they are in a state of Ihraam if they intend to enter al Masjid al Haram for Umrah or Hajj. These points or stations are called the Meeqaat.

 

 

[ummtaalib]

To Mina & Back to Makkah during Hajj

 

 

By Road

Thousands stuck in traffic jams

 

 

 

 

Or Walkies through the tunnels

 

 

Tunnel Air Blowers

 

 

 

 

Easier Maybe?

Mashair railway ih Hajj

 

 

 

 

Maybe Not....

 

Thursday 22 August 2013
A SR500 million damages suit filed against Makkah’s Mashaer Railway was recently withdrawn after the parties reached an out-of-court settlement.

Haj service companies had previously filed a suit against Mashaer Railway, which transports pilgrims to Arafat and Al-Jamarat Bridge, for the delay in its services and the inconveniences caused to a large number of pilgrims during the last Haj. Around 125 companies withdrew their suit after the railroad company promised the problem would not recur this time.

“The settlement terms stipulate that the train services must operate without disruptions or delays during this Haj. However compensation for the damages was not included,” a local daily quoted an informed source on Tuesday as saying. The case was filed at the Makkah Administrative Court, which closed the case after the settlement was reached in the presence of the representatives from the Haj companies and the railroad company. http://www.arabnews.com/news/462075

 

InshaAllah better service in the future!

[ummtaalib]

Glimpses from the Seerah

 

Buhairah the Monk

 

This ruin used to be the monastery of the Nestorian monk Buhairah/Bahira, who spotted the signs of Prophethood on the young Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) while the Prophet was on a trade caravan on the way to Syria.

 

• When Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) was about 12 years old, he accompanied his uncle Abu Talib on a trade journey to Syria. In a place called Busra a very interesting incident took place, which caused Abu Talib to return Muhammad to Makkah.

 

• On their trade journey they met a monk by the name of Bahira, who lived a simple life in a monastery. He had very simple provisions and lived a harsh life, surviving on the bare essentials. His diet was very simple and the clothes he wore were also coarse and well worn. He was looking outside and saw a caravan approaching. His residence was on the main caravan route and he regularly saw caravans passing by, carrying different goods destined to be sold in the great markets of Syria.

 

• He noticed that this caravan was different; there was something special about it. He decided to invite the people to a meal and find out more. Bahira sent a message to the caravan that his hospitality was extended to all the members of the caravan. The caravan traders accepted the invitation and arrived at the monk’s place.

 

• When they arrived, Bahira searched their faces looking for something. He said that he had offered his hospitality to everyone, was there anyone left behind? They said that they had left a young boy called Muhammad to look after the camels. Bahira insisted that they send someone to get Muhammad and bring him to the entertainment. When Bahira saw the face of Muhammad he was delighted for he was aware from the scriptures of the arrival of a mighty prophet and he could see the signs on the young boy.

 

• After the food, Bahira approached Abu Talib saying that Muhammad would be a great prophet one day. He said that when he had seen the caravan in the distance there was a cloud hanging over them, which was shading them from the great heat of the desert. When the caravan had stopped under a tree the cloud had also stopped above them.

 

• Bahira said that he had seen the stones and the trees prostrating to Muhammad as he had been walking by. They only do this for a prophet of Allah. He looked at the Muhammad’s back and noticed the seal of the prophets, which was an oval shape protruding just below Muhammad’s shoulder blades. He said that this was one of the signs of a great prophet to come that was taught to them in their books.

 

• Bahira said “This is the master of all humans, Allah will send him with a message which would be a mercy to all humans”. Bahira advised that Muhammad should be taken back to Makkah at once, if the Jews found out about Muhammad they would try to kill him. Abu Talib took the advice of this wise old monk and sent Muhammad back with some of the guides. (IslamicLandmarks.com)

 

 

 

The Only Living Sahabi!

(I'm not sure how true this is. If anyone has any more information  on it please post)

 

The last Sahabi alive.  This is how they call this tree, located in the inhospitable desert in northern Jordan, is known as.

 

A caravan going to Syria sat down under its shadow. Muhammad (sallallaahu 'alayhi wasallam), the future Prophet of Islam, was travelling with the caravan. He was a young lad accompanying his uncle Abu Talib. This is when Buhairah the Monk recognised him. He was impressed to realise that a little cloud was moving over the heads of some of the travellers, protecting them from the scorching sun. He was also very surprised to see that the branches of the tree sink down to the caravan that sat down to have a rest under its crown.

 

 

 

Journey to Taif

 

 

View of the winding road towards Taif

 

 

 

Only an hour from Makkah, Taif, Saudi Arabia, is a beautiful town set high in the mountains, with a lot of parks and greenery. In Saudi Arabia, roses are synonymous with the city of Taif, which is internationally famous for agriculture and in particular the cultivation and production of roses, dating back to 100 years.

 

 

 

Because of its higher (and cooler) altitude as well as the majestic backdrop of mountains. Taif is a popular summertime vacation destination in the Kingdom.

 

 

The Year of Sorrow was the year the Prophet’s uncle, Abu Talib and his wife, Khadijah died. However, it was also the year the Prophet went to Taif to pass on dawah to them, as it was his given duty, the prophet went to Taif after the death of his wife and uncle. The prophet was about 50-51 years old. They were two tribes in Taif, Taqif and Hawazin who worshipped very, very strongly in an idol called Al-Lat. The people were rich and proud and most wealthy people went to Taif on holiday. The prophet went to Taif with his adopted son Zaid. The people of Taif were worse than the people of Makkah and when Muhammad (SAW) and Zaid went to the leaders of Taif they mocked them and throw stones at them until they bled. The children made fun of them and chased them away the Prophet did not say anything to them but left quietly. For he and been informed of these people by Allah, who had told him he would be cast astray by his own people and that the rich people would not follow him.

 

“We have not sent not any town a warner and the proud habitants declare. We shall not believe in and we shall not be punished.” (Sa’ba V34-35)

 

The Prophet (PBUH) sat outside Taif next to vineyard and raised his hands in du’aa. He said to Allah that he did not have any manpower, money nor any respect. But he did not want it as long as he had Allah’s mercy. He (PBUH) did not want Allah be angry with him. (This shows how much the Prophet (PBUH) felt for his people, how much he wanted for them to be Muslim and sent to paradise.)

 

Allah sent an angel down who asked Muhammad (SAW) if he wanted the two mountains surrounding Taif to crush the people. However, the Prophet (PBUH) said no, leave them just in case they become Muslim, which they did, 10 years later.

 

Today all of Taif is Muslim!

 

 

 

 

 

[ummtaalib]

Masjid Haram Gates

 

[ummtaalib]

Masjid Haram Library

 

 

More than 30 000 volumes at the Library of Masjid al Haram

Roukaya 19
 

[MUSLIM WOMAN]

 

JazakAllah  Khair  for sharing

[ummtaalib]

Please Note: If any pictures or other information is found to be incorrect, please advise us with source of  correct information

 

Jazaakumullaah

[ummtaalib]

Hudaibiyyah

 

 

 

 

Masjid of Hudaibiyyah

 

Hudaibiyyah Well

Mohammad (Peace be Upon Him) with fourteen hundred unarmed companions, set out for Makkah for the pilgrimage. The Quraish however decided not to allow the Holy Prophet (Peace be Upon Him) and His companions to enter Makkah. The Holy Prophet (Peace be Upon Him), therefore stopped at Hudaibiya, a place at a short distance from Makkah. From there he sent a messenger to inform the Quraish that they had not come to wage war, but had come unarmed and wished to enter Makkah only for the purpose of performing the Umrah.

 

The messenger sent by the Holy Prophet (Peace be Upon Him) did not return, the Holy Prophet (Peace be Upon Him) sent Hazrat Uthman. He, too, was detained by the Quraish and a rumor spread that he was killed. The Holy Prophet (Peace be Upon Him) collected all his followers near the oasis of Rizwan. He took from them the oath that they would lay down their lives in the name of Allah. This oath is known as Bait-e-Rizwan. Regarding this oath, the Quran says:

“Allah’s Good Pleasure was on the Believers when they swore fealty to thee under the tree: He knew what was in their hearts, and He sent down tranquility to them: and He rewarded them with a speedy victory” (48:18)

 

The Quraish were very disturbed when they heard of this and decided to negotiate a treaty of peace with the Muslims. It was called the Treaty of Hudaibiya. It had the following terms:

• Muslims would return to Madinah that year.


•  


• They would be permitted to come for pilgrimage next year but would stay only for three days in Makkah.


•  


• If a Quraish from Makkah should join the Muslims without permission from this guardians, he would be sent back to Makkah. But if a Muslim from Madinah went to Makkah he would not be sent back.


•  


• There would be no fighting for ten years.


•  

Many of the Muslims including Hazrat Umar were not happy over the terms of the treaty which were very harsh and against the interests of Muslims. Yet the Holy Prophet (Peace be Upon Him) accepted them with the command of Allah Who Himself, declared this treaty to be a manifest victory for the believers by saying:

“Verily We have granted thee a manifest victory.” (48:1)

 

As the subsequent events show, this treaty proved to be  beneficial for the cause of Islam. It ended the atmosphere of constant hostility and the non-believers of Makkah started coming to Madinah. Having free contacts with the believers, they got the chance to study closely the Islamic way of life. Large number of unbelievers accepted Islam after this treaty. This was the turning point for the Muslims and thus proved the victory later for Muslims.

[ummtaalib]

Darb Zubayda

 

 

These three photos show the remains of the magnificent aqueduct known as Darb Zubayda.

Zubayda bint Ja`far ibn Mansur (d.791A.D.) was daughter of the Abbasid caliph Al-Mansur, and cousin of Harun al-Rashid (r.766-809 A.D.), whom she later married (781A.D.).

 

She was the best known of the Abbasid princesses. She and her husband’s exploits are the subjects of The Thousand and One Nights. It is said that her palace ’sounded like a beehive’ because she employed one hundred women maids who had memorized the Qur’an. She is particularly remembered for the contributions she made to the ulema and the poor, and for the series of wells, reservoirs and artificial pools that provided water for Muslim pilgrims along the route from Baghdad to Mecca and Medina. The route was re-named Darb Zubayda, “Zubayda’s Way”. At its height, the route included milestones, 54 major way stations with cisterns, reservoirs or wells, fire signal towers, hostels and fortresses—all paid for by the Abbasid treasury. The people of Makkah received water from this canal for twelve hundred years, with Muslim rulers continuing to repair and maintain it through the centuries until it eventually started to break up. In parts, the monumental stone artistry still seems intact, after all these years of harsh conditions. Going back to the previous post on Arafat, you will notice this same aqueduct surrounding the base of Jabal Rahmah. The views of it hugging the mountain sides, and winding around valleys as a ribbon around a parcel is awesome, and more so given the harsh nature of the landscape it traverses.

 

Harun al-Rashid ruled from 786 to 809. He performed Hajj six or nine times, including the one in 790 which, in fulfillment of a vow, he made entirely on foot. His final one, performed in 804, was the last Hajj ever made by a caliph. It is recorded that a field of carpets would be rolled out on the sand before them each day of traveling!

Zubayda made five or six pilgrimages herself. Apart from patronizing the incredible engineering feat of the aqueduct she is also honoured for her efforts in established an abundant drinking water system in Makkah at the time.

 

 

One of dozens of maintained rest and water stations on the pilgrim road from Iraq to Makkah, this pool at Aqiq, Saudi Arabia, still holds water more than a thousand years after it was constructed under the patronage of Zubayda. Al-Miskeenah

[ummtaalib]

The First Place of Teaching

 

 

…first prayer taught here…

 

…Jibreel Alaihis Salam came to our Beloved Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam the day after the Mir’aj to teach him Wudhu and Salat…and Allah Ta’ala knows best…but it is knowledge passed down through the ‘Ulema and Awliyah that the brown marble pieces inserted into the white marble of the Shadharwan is where the Mubarak teaching occurred…

 

…Ahmad transmits in his Musnad and al-Hakarn in his Mustadrak from Zaid ibn Haritha RadhiAllahu anhu that our Noble Nabi SallAllahu alaihiwasallam said: “Jibreel came to me at the beginning of what he revealed to me and taught me how to do Wudhu and the Prayer…”

 

…Al-Bukhari transmits that the Messenger of Allah SallAllahu alaihi wasallam said: “Jibreel descended and led me in prayer, and I prayed with him, then I prayed with him, then I prayed with him and then I prayed with him,” and he counted out five times on his fingers… almiskeenah

[umme khadeejah]

wow!! Pictures are amazing, mashallah. Wish I had seen them sooner

[ummtaalib]

Hajj Days Soon!!

 

 

Travelling for Hajj

 

 

Now

Jeddah Airport

  

 

 

 

Or the International Airport in Madinah

 

 

 

 

 

& Before

(Click on pictures to Enlarge)

 

 

[ummtaalib]

Haram Cleaners in Action 

 

SubhanAllah, the area that Masjid al-Haram occupies on the earth must be the cleanest patch of land on the entire globe. Armies of diligent cleaners, brothers and sisters, are dusting, polishing, mopping, sweeping, vacuuming, washing and picking up all that is dropped 24/7. The efficient routine never ceases, and the care and love seen on all contibuting to this task is admirable. Their presence is evident in every direction one gazes; high above scaffolding meticulously cleaning each and every architectural feature and light fittings to all surfaces below.

 

 

   

 

 

 

The antics of the brothers in the turquoise uniforms as they are engaged in the major cleaning  mesmerize. Children laugh excitedly, adults stare in amazement as if watching a skillfully choreographed ballet. The display of dexterity and nimbleness as they contol all the props is a performance of agility and devotion, and a mastery of organization.

ALMISKEENAH

[ummtaalib]

Rain in Makkah - 19 September 2013

(Pictures posted by Roukaya19 on muftisays.com)

 

 

        

 

 

The Meezaabe Rahmat with water from the roof coming through

[ummtaalib]

Baabul Umrah Minarets - Demolition & Work in Progress

 

  21 September 2013                           How it was

 

     

 

 

Old Pictures of Baabul Umrah Area

 

   

 

 

With the Haram Development (Pictures in the next post), this area known to many around the Gate of Umrah has forever disappeared. Many hotels, food outlets, shops, barbers etc. in the narrow, winding streets have been demolished to make way for the development of the Haram.

[ummtaalib]

Folding of the Kiswah

September 2013

In Preparation of Hajj (1434)

 

 

 

The black apparel (kiswah) covering the Holy Kaaba was folded three meters up off the ground on Wednesday to prevent pilgrims from touching and damaging it during the Haj season, the Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques Affairs said in a statement.

“The area has been covered by a white cloth, which is two meters high and 47 meters wide,” the statement said, adding that this is done just before the peak of the Haj season every year.

 

We have done this as a precautionary measure to prevent people from tampering with the cover, as many people tend to touch the cover during tawaf (circumambulation around the Kaaba),” said Mohammed bin Abdullah Bajouda, director-general of the Kaaba Cover Factory

arabnews.com

 

More Pictures Showing Details of the Procedure

24 September 2013

(Pictures by Roukaya19)

 

First the Kiswah itself is rolled up

 

 

The covering with the white cloth begins

 

 

 

Last side

[ummtaalib]

The Kiswah Folded up for Hajj 2012

 

 

 

 

In the old days

 

[ummtaalib]

Wheelchair Service in the Haram

 

 

Wheelchairs for the Disabled

 

Certain doors in the Sacred Mosque have been assigned for wheelchair-bound pilgrims including King Abdul Aziz Gate, (Door No. 1), Al-Safa Gate, Hunain Gate, Al-Marwah Gate, Othman Gate, Al-Fath Gate, Al-Madinah Gate, Al-Nadwa Bridge, Al-Madinah Bridge, Al-Umrah Gate, Gate No. 64, King Fahd Gate, Gate No. 94, Al-Raguba Bridge, the New Gate of Ajyad.

 

Door No. 11 is the main area for entering the Haram with a wheelchair.

 

Other doors providing wheelchair ramps are Doors No. 10 & 43.

 

Wheelchairs are available from inside the Haram near Safa Gate, Door No. 11.  To the right of this door are elevators going to the first floor where you will also find wheelchairs directly in front of you.  All these wheelchairs are free but some form of ID has to be deposited as security.  There is no one to push these chairs.

 

If you need someone to push then such wheelchairs are available from outside Door No. 13 area and cost about 50 Riyals.  However, these are not recommended as the person doing the pushing does not stop at Safa or Marwa for you to perform the Sunnat Du'aa.  In addition, he may not have the necessary permit, hence if he sees an official after him, he will tip you out of the wheelchair midway between either your Tawaaf or Sa’ee and you will have lost that money. Note that if you are going to make use of these wheelchairs then you will complete your Sa'ee much earlier than those doing it on foot, hence pre-arrange a meeting place.

 

You need to obtain a permit from the office near Door No. 12 if you have your own wheelchair in order to enter the Haram with your own make and model!

 

If you have your own wheelchair, you will not be allowed entry into the ground floor; you will have to go to the first floor or above. The access to the first floor is via the ramps between Babul Umrah & Babul Fatah and from the Marwa end from Gaza and via a ramp next to the Royal Palace between Bab Malik Abdul Aziz & Safa. There is also a lift access outside Babus Safa.

 

Outside Door No. 1 a new outlet has been opened for free usage of wheelchairs.

 

Ensure that the wheelchairs have a plastic band as a footrest, (as opposed to a metal pedal), since the latter can cause a painful injury to the person in front of you in the crowds.

 

A specific track has now been assigned for the wheelchairs on the first floor of the Haram overlooking the Mataaf.

  

Some of the toilets in the surrounding courtyard have been designed to meet the needs of people with a disability.

Hajj Practicalities

 

 

UPDATE: People using wheelchairs will be using the Temporary Mataaf (See Post number 2 of this topic)

which has been in operation since Ramdhaan (2013). From information available online it appears that  only one person is allowed to accompany the wheelchair user. 

 

 

 

Wheelchairs piled high

 

Older style wheelchairs

 

 

[ummtaalib]

Hospitals Providing Health Care for Pilgrims

 

The Ministry of Health has established 21 hospitals with 7,000-bed capacity to serve and provide health care to pilgrims

There are hospitals, ambulances and other centers specializing in the treatment of sunstrokes and heat exhaustion in Makkah Al-Mukarramah, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah and the Holy Shrines. Makkah Al-Mukarramah has seven hospitals with a total capacity of 3,173 beds.

 

There are several hospitals in the Holy Shrines containing specialized outpatient clinics, ambulance units and operations and admittance rooms in addition to special arrangements for treating sunstroke and heat exhaustion.

 

These hospitals include:

 

1- The 800-bed Arafat General Hospital, 24 beds for sunstroke patients, 130 beds for heat exhaustion patients.

2- The 30-bed Jabal Al Rahmah Hospital, 4 beds for sunstroke patients, 150 beds for heat exhaustion patients.

3- Arafat's Mobile Hospital (100) beds at the heat exhaustion center, 8 cooling units, 50 beds for admittance.

4- Mina General Hospital (350 beds).

5- King Abdul Aziz Bridge Hospital in Mina (120 beds).

6- The 370- beds Namera Hospital, 8 beds for sunstroke and 71 beds for heat exhaustion.

7- The 130-beds Mina Al Wadi Hospital, 10 beds for Intensive Care Unit.

(Ministry of Hajj, Saudi Arabia)

 

 Hospital in Arafat

 

Jabal al- Rahmah Hospital

[ummtaalib]

PREPARATIONS COMPLETED FOR HAJJ  1434 (2013)  

 

 

Prince Mansour announces readiness of ministry to assist pilgrims during Haj

 

MINA — Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs Prince Dr. Mansour Bin Miteb announced the readiness of all of the ministry’s sectors to carry out its plan to serve pilgrims in Makkah, Madinah and the holy sites.

In a statement on the prepardness of the ministry, he said  a detailed plan is being carried out by Makkah Municipality with support from all the sectors of the ministry. He said 23,000 workers in the ministry’s projects will be getting rid of garbage as soon as it collects.

Over 170 electrical compressor dumpsters for garbage have been distributed in the Central Area of Makkah. Several places have been allocated for collecting garbage. They have reached 131 stores each with a capacity of 35 tons, apart from 1,025 compressor dumpsters each with a capacity of 10 tons.

A big number of field teams has been distributed so as to monitor the prices in the markets throughout the Haj season. Over 15,000 additional rest rooms have been set up before the Haj season in Mina, Muzdalifah and Arafat within a project to construct 36,000 new rest rooms. They will be completed before the 2014 Haj season.

In collaboration with municipalities of Makkah and Madinah, the ministry has intensified its efforts to carry out the environmental protection program and combat public health diseases during Haj by using environment-friendly means to preserve the health and safety of the guests of Allah during their presence in Makkah and Madinah.

Since the beginning of the month of Dhul Hijja, the ministry deployed as many as 73 health teams to combat insects, mosquitoes, flies and harmful pests that help spread diseases among humans. Their breeding grounds were located and sprayed with pesticides. Stagnant pools were filled with soil or the water was pumped out. Other likely breeding grounds during Haj were also dealt with. An integrated program to prevent the piling up of garbage was carried out. The ministry has used pesticides and insecticides with the least harm to pilgrims in combating public health diseases. The ministry focused on alternative methods such as using baits that attract flies, adhesive strips and other traps.

The ministry’s plan relies on the constant presence of combat teams at the sites where flies and mosquitoes are likely to multiply such as vegetable and livestock markets, slaughterhouses and places for collecting garbage. In the same connection, the ministry provided support to Makkah Municipality to carry out a plan for combating public health diseases during the Haj season and intensify field tours in all of Makkah’s districts and the holy sites. — SG/SPA

SaudiGazzette

 

 

Kingdom keen to ease hardship of pilgrims

12 October 2013

The government, ministers, dignitaries, business and charity leaders are keen to make the current Haj season an unprecedented success.
The Ministry of Interior and the Supreme Haj Committee are inspecting preparations undertaken by departments for this year’s pilgrimage.

Prince Mishaal bin Abdullah, governor of Najran Province, said: “Services and facilities have been fully and continuously provided to pilgrims coming through border entry points.”

Prince Mishari bin Saud, governor of Baha Province, has ensured that facilities are put in place for pilgrim convoys passing through the region toward Makkah to perform their Haj rituals securely.

The Medical Supply Directorate at the Health Department in Makkah provided medicines, medical and laboratory supplies to health facilities in Makkah and the holy sites.

“Eight hospitals and 24 health centers have been equipped in the holy sites,” said Ismail bin Mohammed, the directorate’s assistant director of pharmacies.
Nasser bin Saleh Al-Hujailan, undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture and Information for cultural affairs, said: “More than 50,000 books, booklets and photos of the two Holy Mosques and the holy sites, in addition to copies of the Holy Qur’an, will be distributed to pilgrims for this year’s Haj season.”

“The publications will be distributed through 22 public libraries and exhibitions in various regions of the Kingdom to participate in the provision of services to pilgrims,” he said.

Guests of the Ministry of Culture and Information, who came to the Kingdom to cover Haj rituals, visited the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Institute for Haj and Umrah Research at Umm Al-Qura University.

The Institute’s dean, Abdulaziz bin Rashad Srouji, briefed guests on the institute and its services to pilgrims, stressing that the Kingdom has harnessed all its potentials in the service of pilgrims. The Ministry of Haj has urged all Haj missions, including tourist agencies, companies and charities, to warn their pilgrims against importing drugs or any other prohibited material.

http://www.arabnews.com/news/467539

[ummtaalib]

 

[ummtaalib]

Hajis begin streaming into Mina

 

 

• 

  METICULOUS PLANNING:

  The sparkling tent city of Mina is ready to receive hundreds of thousands of Hajis on Sunday.

  (AN photo by Abdullah Al-Mohsen)

 

 

 

Hundreds of thousands of Haj pilgrims began streaming into tent city at Mina by foot, on buses and in four-wheel drives late Saturday amid extreme heat and humidity.

 

On their way, pilgrims were met by many checkpoints manned by security men, health officials and traffic police, who asked pilgrims to display their Haj permits.

 

The much feared mobile fingerprint machines were nowhere to be seen.

 

Although skies were overcast, high temperatures ensued while pilgrims flooding into Makkah suffered traffic jams that turned a regular 40-minute drive from Jeddah into a grueling 3-and-a-half-hour marathon.

 

Helicopters hovered overhead, directing security officials on the ground.....

Read Here

 

 

 8th Dhul Hijjah 1434

 

[ummtaalib]

80-year-old Saudi, after 60 Hajs, hails today's services

October 13, 2013 12:06 AM

 

MAKKAH  — A 80-year-old Saudi mosque imam, who has performed Haj 60 times, has strongly praised the current Haj services describing them as consummate and convenient compared to pilgrimages in olden time.

"The Haj now is a picnic thanks to the sublime services being provided to the guests of God by the Saudi government under the leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and his Crown Prince," he said.

Sheikh Jabran Yahya Solaiman Al-Malki, imam of Hiraz mosque in Al-Dair, in Jazan province to the Southwest of the Kingdom, said complete services being extended to the pilgrims have enabled them do their Haj rites in ease and comfort.

"There is no comparison between the Haj services today and those of the past when resources were scant," he said.

Al-Malki recalled that he performed the Haj for the first time with his father in 1954 during the reign of King Saud. "It was an exhausting experience which I will never forget. The resources were very little and transport was poor," he said.

He said the journey from Jazan to Makkah took him and his father two weeks to complete. "There were no paved roads and the cars were old and smoky," he added.

Al-Malki said there was not enough water, food or toilets in the Holy Sites. "The number of pilgrims was about 250,000. We used to live in tents near the Jamarat in Mina. We had to cross on foot the long distances between Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah," he said.

Al-Malki said he had performed Haj for himself, his parents, relatives and a number of his sons who died young.

But the fact, at 80 with 60 Hajs, the imam could well be on his way to setting a Guinness world record.

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20131013183543

[ummtaalib]

Help in MIna for the Disabled

 

226 electric vehicles for the disabled and the sick and elderly

Mina,  Dhu-AlHijjah 8, 1434,  Oct 13, 2013, SPA

The Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs has allocated 226 electric vehicles at Jamarat Facility for pilgrims with special needs, patients, elderly people, and women to facilitate their performance of this Hajj ritual of throwing pebbles.

The Director of the Ministry's Department of Operation and Maintenance at Central Directorate of Developmental Projects in the Holy Sites Eng. Wajdi bin Hassan Toulah said that the electrical vehicles will serve 70,000 pilgrims during this year's Hajj season, 1434AH.

http://www.spa.gov.sa/English/print.php?id=1157219

[ummtaalib]

Kiswa to be changed today

Monday, October 14, 2013 10:53 AM

MAKKAH — As per the yearly custom, the Kiswa, the black cloth with golden embroidery covering the Holy Kaaba, will be changed on Monday (Dhul Hijja 9), an official of the General Presidency of the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques announced here on Sunday.

Director General of Kiswa Factory in Makkah Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Pajudeh said more than 240 workers and employees are working in the factory. The cost of making Kiswa amounts annually to more than SR22 million. Pajudeh  pointed out that 700 kg of silk and 120 kg of silver and gold wires are used in making the Kiswa. — SG

 

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20131014183647